Life of Darkness Part 2: Dark Illusions
by Xorac22
Summary: Completed:: Shin has shattered the Violet Crystal and the Castle of Dark Illusions is about to fall in a matter of minutes. Now with Huan on his side the two seem to be a formitable team, but will the battle end before the castle falls?
1. Sea of Blood

Chapter 1: Sea of Blood  
  
The entire Sogen had gathered in and around Fierce for a massive celebratory festival. All types of Warrior were at the party, dancing and drinking themselves stupid. Several Goblins had gathered in the corner and were having fights just for entertainment. The Celtic Guardians put up their swords for the night and were trying to get with the local Amazons. And Apollo just sat back and watched with a smile on his face. He was finally able to see his people happy for the first time in ten years.  
  
"Looks like your party's going great." Keja said as he walked up to Apollo.  
  
"Yes well I don't care about the party. I'm just glad that whole thing is over for now." Apollo said.  
  
"That was one wacky night." Picard said. "My head still hurts from that head butt.  
  
"Yeah well you got it easier than Ameph did." Keja said.  
  
"Has she woken up yet?" Apollo asked.  
  
"She woke up this morning but fell back asleep." Picard answered.  
  
"Megacyber is still out of it too." Keja said.  
  
"Well I'm going to see to it that he is ridden of whatever swarms his mind." Apollo said. "I'm sure that Dominus was behind that."  
  
"So where are we going next dude?" Picard asked.  
  
"Luminous Spark. That's where." Keja answered.  
  
"Do you really think Dominus is there?" Picard asked.  
  
"I don't know if he's there or not. But he has been there before." Keja answered. "Maybe we can get some information from somebody."  
  
"Yeah well I'm not going anywhere near Fountain." Picard said.  
  
"Why not? That's the capital of Luminous Spark." Keja replied.  
  
"There are just too many things that I didn't finish there." Picard said. "And I'd rather them be left unfinished."  
  
"Well you know where you're going." Apollo said. "But how your going to get there is the question."  
  
"Well its north of here." Keja said.  
  
"Yes but there's something in between Sogen and the Luminous Spark." Apollo said. "And that is the treacherous waters of the Umi."  
  
"What's so bad about the Umi?" Picard asked.  
  
"The waters of the Umi are crawling with vicious fish and beasts. Not only that, but there are pirates in every direction." Apollo answered.  
  
"Well we can take them." Keja said.  
  
"Are you sure?" Picard asked.  
  
"We could go around if you want." Keja said.  
  
"No that's alright." Picard said.  
  
"Well you could get to Luminous Spark faster if you go by boat." Apollo said. "You'll be going for days if you go around. If you go across the Umi it will take a little more than two days."  
  
"Then it's settled." Keja said. "We'll cross the Umi."  
  
"Not without me you don't." Ameph said as she walked up to the trio.  
  
"You ok?" Picard asked.  
  
"I'll live." Ameph said. "So when are we going?"  
  
"Well we don't even have a ship or something like that." Keja said.  
  
"I'll let you have one of mine." Apollo said. "It will be at the docks if you head directly north from here."  
  
"Thanks Apollo." Keja said.  
  
"Well consider it as a reward for helping us in the forest." Apollo said.  
  
"We'll take off tomorrow." Keja said.  
  
The party continued throughout the day and late into the night. Most of the Warriors had returned home and others were cleaning up the after party mess. The morning sun rose brightly as it always did, with a hard glare on the east side of the buildings. Keja, Picard, and Ameph gathered their things and before they new it, they were outside the walls of Fierce with all of its inhabitants waving goodbye. The war was over, and there was nothing more to do in the Sogen. So with a full stomach and vengeful intentions still in his mind, Keja and the others headed directly north like Apollo said.  
  
They walked through the grassy plains for the majority of the day. By sunset, they could see the horizon of the Umi. The smoldering Forest just a bit to the right of them. The docks lit up their torches for the night sky as the sun got lower and lower. By the time they reached the shore the sunset had made the sea look as if it was made of blood. 


	2. Man or Beast

Chapter 2: Man or Beast  
  
"Welcome to Sogen Harbor young ones." A man said as he walked up to Keja, Ameph and Picard. "We have received word of your departure from King Apollo. I'll be your Captain."  
  
"Whats your name?" Picard asked.  
  
"The name's Tsunami." He said.  
  
"Hey. You're a Legendary Fisherman aren't you?" Keja asked.  
  
"That's right." Tsunami said. "Now prepare to board, we're shovin' off in thirty minutes."  
  
"Alright then. Lets go to the spark." Picard said.  
  
They all boarded and waited as the crew made their last preparations on the ship. Keja peered over the side of the ship to see a name imprinted on it.  
  
"Silence?" Keja asked. "Why do you call it Silence?"  
  
"Because she sails the sea without making a sound." Tsunami answered. "Alright mates, hoist that flag and we'll head out!"  
  
"Yes sir!" All the crewmen yelled.  
  
The crewmen hoisted a green flag with a sword and shield symbol on it, as a sign of the Warriors. The ship shoved off the dock and began to sail gracefully into the Umi, waves banged up against the sides of the ship without making a sound. The ship lived up to its name.  
  
Great Whites and 7 Colored Fish swam through the blue sea without any worries at all. A Fortress Whale swam up along Silence and blew a large amount of water out it blowhole.  
  
"What's it doing?" Picard said.  
  
"It wants to race." Tsunami said.  
  
"Race?" Keja asked.  
  
"Yes. Fortress Whales are very competitive. They race ships and other fish as often as they can." Tsunami answered.  
  
"So lets race him then." Picard said.  
  
"Alright then. I don't see any harm in it." Tsunami said. "Drop the sails boys! We're racin'!"  
  
"What!?" Ameph yelled as the ship began to speed up. She was already leaning on the rail of the bow with a pale face; you could tell she got seasick easily. "No harm in it he says. Why didn't I just fly?"  
  
"Lets go!" Tsunami yelled to the Whale. The Whale let out a roar and sped up. The two went fast along the current and were neck and neck the entire way.  
  
"Sir!" A crewman yelled. "Tornado Walls off the starboard bow!"  
  
"Great." Tsunami said. "Raise the sails, and slow her down! You win pal." The Fortress Whale let out another roar before diving deep into the water. "Now, whats with you things?"  
  
"Sir!" The same crewman yelled. "They're spreading like fire! There in all directions but north!"  
  
"Dammit." Tsunami said. "I knew something like this was going to happen."  
  
"What?" Keja asked.  
  
"Pirates." Tsunami answered. "Follow the walls along the port side and get the starboard cannons ready!"  
  
The area in front of them began to smolder with mist. It was everywhere. A faint object was seen in the distance, it got closer and closer.  
  
"Alright you scaly wags!" A man with a long grey beard and green armor yelled. "Looks like Captain Tsunami isn't going to go down without a fight, as always, so get those starboard cannons ready and decrease speed!"  
  
"Yes Captain!" The Pirates yelled back.  
  
The ship slowed down but continued to creep out of the mist. The ship continued to move in the mist for a few more minutes before emerging. A large blood red and black striped ship with a large red skeleton was the decoration on the front of the ship. A torn pirate flag fluttered in the vicious winds.  
  
"Oh crap." Tsunami said.  
  
"Whats the oh crap for?" Picard asked.  
  
"The Skull Mariner." Tsunami mumbled.  
  
"The Skull Mariner?" Keja asked.  
  
"The most notorious pirate ship in the Umi." Tsunami answered. "Seven times I've come across that ship. Each time I got away, but not easily."  
  
The Skull Mariner pulled up along side Silence with several pirates screaming at the top of their lungs.  
  
"Load the cannons!" Tsunami yelled as the crewmen loaded all the starboard cannons. "Ready, and fire!"  
  
The cannons all let out a loud bang as they shot the iron balls at the Skull Mariner. The Skull Mariner returned fire with the same number of shots, far more damaging than Silence's shots.  
  
"Grab your hooks boys!" The captain yelled. "Grapple them up! Prepare to board!"  
  
"Hooks!" A crewman yelled as the pirates tossed their hooks at Silence and hooked onto the railing.  
  
"Great." Tsunami said. "Draw your blades mates! We're going to have an old fashioned battle! You guys wanna help?"  
  
"I will." Picard said as he pulled out his sword.  
  
"I'm in." Keja said as he stood up.  
  
"Just give me a minute." Ameph said holding her stomach.  
  
"All right you dogs! Swing on over!" The Captain yelled as the pirates swung over to the opposing ship.  
  
"Not while I'm around." Keja said as he pointed out his staff. "Nightmare Steel Cage!" He yelled as he encased one of the swinging pirates in a cage. The pirate let go of the rope in panic and fell into the sea.  
  
"Take this!" Picard yelled as he slash one in half.  
  
"Ello puppet." One of two pirates said as they walked up to the seasick Ameph. "I'd like to have a go with that, yes I would."  
  
"Yeah." The other chuckled.  
  
"How would ya like to come on board the Skull Mariner and be our close and personal slave?" The first one asked villainously.  
  
Ameph grabbed her short staff without them noticing and slammed it against the first ones head. "I'd rather be seasick."  
  
"You little bi-." The second one said before Keja put his arm around his neck.  
  
"You know, in my country if you act like that to a woman you get blasted in the face." Keja said as he dragged the pirate to the side of the ship. And you my friend are no acception. Dark Magic Attack!" He yelled as he blasted the pirate in the face and sent him flying of the ship.  
  
"Hm. Looks like I'd better have some fun." The Captain said.  
  
"Fire cannons again!" Tsunami yelled before he saw the captain of the Skull Mariner swing over.  
  
"Captain Tsunami." The captain said as he walked up to the Legendary Fisherman. "Its been a while."  
  
"Yes it has." Tsunami began. "Captain Kojikocy."  
  
"Well, do you think your going to get out of my fingers again?" Kojikocy asked. "Because I think your chances are growing shorter by the second."  
  
"Well actually I do think I can get away from you again." Tsunami said.  
  
"Oh really? Might I ask how?" Kojikocy asked.  
  
"Well for one, I have him." Tsunami said as he pointed behind Kojikocy.  
  
"Nightmare Steel Cage!" Keja yelled as he encased Kojikocy in the cage.  
  
"Heh. Cute trick kid." Kojikocy said. "But I have one too." He said as he tensed up his arms and his muscles got twice their size. "I have the ability of brute force!" He yelled as he slammed his fists on the cage walls and shattered the iron dome.  
  
"Whoa." Keja said in surprise.  
  
"Whoa is right kid. I have the strength of one hundred men all packed into my arms." Kojikocy said as he grabbed Keja by the arms and squeezed.  
  
"Oh crap." Keja gasped as he dropped his staff.  
  
"Put him down!" Picard said as he slashed at Kojikocy's arms.  
  
"That strength also gives my arms and immpeneraterable armor that cannot be pierced by even the sharpest of objects." Kojikocy said as he freed Keja's right arm and back swiped Picard, knocking him into the mast of Silence. "Now back to you kid." He said as he tightened his grip on Keja's left arm.  
  
"Let him go Kojikocy!" Tsunami said as he drew his spear. "Your fight is with me."  
  
"Oh I'm sorry." Kojikocy said. "Let me just do something first." He said as he yanked down on Keja's arm and almost ripped it off.  
  
Keja's arm was dislocated at the shoulder, and the pressure Kojikocy put behind his attack made Keja pass out from the pain. 


	3. Fish Food

Chapter 3: Fish Food  
  
"Uh." Keja said as he woke up. "Where am I?" He was in a large stone room with windows to his left and another unconscious man to his right.  
  
"Oh, your awake." A woman said as she walked into the room.  
  
"Who are you?" Keja asked.  
  
"My name is Lily." She said. "I'm the head doctor here in Fountain.  
  
"Fountain?" Keja asked. "I'm in Fountain?"  
  
"Unfortunately." Picard answered from the door.  
  
"How did we get here?" Keja asked.  
  
"Well." Picard began.  
  
Flashback:  
  
Kojikocy dropped Keja and walked over to Tsunami. "Well, well, well." He said. "Are you finally going to stand up to me?"  
  
"I've run from you too many times Kojikocy." Tsunami said. "I want to settle this once and for all."  
  
"Yes, well seeing as I've not had a challenge in a good while." Kojikocy said. "Why don't I power down by half. Just so you at least have a smidge of a chance."  
  
"I don't care." Tsunami said.  
  
"Fine then." Kojikocy said as his muscles decreased just a bit. "Let us settle this."  
  
Tsunami readied his spear and ran at Kojikocy. Tsunami used the spear as a fighting rod and swung it at Kojikocy several times, only to have it swatted away by Kojikocy's sword. Tsunami trust his spear at Kojikocy's head. The Pirate Captain dodged the attack and threw a hard downward slash at Tsunami. Tsunami evaded the shot and Kojikocy's sword carved a large hole in the deck of the ship. Kojikocy spun around and threw a horizontal slash, Tsunami ducked and the sword crashed into the captain's wheel.  
  
"Ha!" Kojikocy yelled. "I'm going to tear you apart piece by piece Tsunami! Just like your ship!"  
  
"I beg to differ." Tsunami said as he repeatedly drove the dull end of his spear into Kojikocy's gut.  
  
"Pathetic fool!" Kojikocy yelled as he grabbed the spear and pulled Tsunami closer. "Your about to be swallowed by the sea that you love so much!" Kojikocy threw Tsunami over the rail of the ship and into the sea.  
  
Tsunami hit the water with such force that he was knocked out. He slowly sank into the bottom of the Umi as Kojikocy looked on from the side of Silence.  
  
"The ship is ours boys!" Kojikocy yelled to his crew.  
  
"Not now it isn't." Ameph said from behind Kojikocy.  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you think your going to stop me?" Kojikocy asked.  
  
"Well. I can at least stall you." Ameph said.  
  
"How?" Kojikocy asked.  
  
"Swords of Revealing Light!" Ameph yelled as she raised he short staff and large golden swords of light illuminated in the misty sky. The swords came down like rain and encased all the pirates and Kojikocy.  
  
"You think these can hold me!?" Kojikocy yelled. "If that boys cage didn't work, what makes you think little swords of light will?" Kojikocy banged his fists on the swords with no effect. "What!? My strength should be able to take out anything in a single punch."  
  
"There's a big difference between steel and light, Captain Kojikocy." Tsunami said from the water.  
  
"You!?" Kojikocy yelled. "You should be dead!"  
  
"Any Water based monster can survive underwater." Tsunami said. "Therefore I'm still here. You however are an Earth based monster. So your chances of surviving underwater are none." Tsunami let out a loud whistle into the mist of the Umi. Slowly a rumbling began to stir throughout the water.  
  
"W-What's happening!?" Kojikocy yelled.  
  
"Feel the fury of the sea, Captain!" Tsunami yelled as the Fortress Whale erupted from the raging waters. The Whale gracefully glided through the air and opened it's jaws. The Whale picked Kojikocy of the ship and swallowed the pirate whole as he dove back into the water.  
  
End Flashback:  
  
"Afterwards we continued to sail here." Picard said. "We've been in this hospital for half a day."  
  
"Well." Keja said as he sat up and held his arm. "Looks like you popped my arm back into place."  
  
"Yes, but its still going to be sore for a couple of days." Lily said. "And if you don't want it getting broken I suggest you refrain from using it for a while."  
  
"Thanks." Keja said. "Where's Ameph at?"  
  
"She's supposedly visiting her mother somewhere around town." Picard said. "She said she'd meet back with us at the steps of Bright Castle."  
  
"She's tagging along huh?" Keja said.  
  
"She said she had nothing else to do." Picard answered.  
  
"Well shall we head for the castle?" Keja asked.  
  
"Alright." Picard said.  
  
Keja and Picard walked through the town and looked around for a bit while heading for the castle.  
  
"I don't understand why you don't like this city." Keja said. "It's actually pretty cool."  
  
"Yeah well let's just stay away from the western part of it." Picard said. "I'm cool as long as we stay away from that vicinity."  
  
"Whatever." Keja said. "There's the castle."  
  
The castle was a large white building that had a massive fountain in front of it. Ameph was sitting on the ledge of the pool with her feet in the water, a glum look on her face.  
  
"So how was your visit with your mom?" Keja asked.  
  
"She wasn't there." Ameph answered.  
  
"What do you mean she wasn't there?" Picard asked.  
  
"She wasn't there." Ameph said against. "She's gone."  
  
"That sucks." Keja said. "Where could she have gone to?"  
  
"I have no idea." Ameph said. "I found this note on the table in her house."  
  
Keja took the note and read it. "If you want your mother back you're going to have to overcome some very dark illusions. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, ask the Cosmo Queen. Oh and by the way, tell my baby brother I said hi."  
  
"Sounds like Dominus to me." Picard said.  
  
"Well what did he mean by 'Dark Illusions'?" Keja asked.  
  
"We could find out." Ameph said. "Lets ask the Cosmo Queen."  
  
"Ok then." Picard said. "Lets go."  
  
The trio walked up the long stairway of Bright Castle and entered its white doors. They hoped to exit the castle with some answers about Dominus and his new evil plot. 


	4. Friends or Foes

Chapter 4: Friends or Foes  
  
Keja, Picard, and Ameph strolled down the hall to the throne room. Apparently, the castle was open to the public, so no guards hassled them at all. Keja rubbed his arm to try and relive himself of some of the pain. They got to the end of the hallway and Picard pushed open the large doors.  
  
"Ah. More visitors on this graceful day." The Cosmo Queen said. "What is your business at my castle?"  
  
"We came to find out something." Keja said. "We wish to know what 'Dark Illusions' is."  
  
The Cosmo Queen's face went from cheerful to glum in a matter of seconds. "The terms, 'Dark Illusions' refer to a large ancient castle on the border of the Luminous Spark and Wasteland. The castle is known as 'The Castle of Dark Illusions'. Surely you don't plan on going there."  
  
"Why not?" Picard asked.  
  
"Too many reasons young Buster Blader, too many." The Cosmo Queen answered. "The Castle is said to be guarded by a large group of Reapers, shadows wander the outside and inside walls, and the heart of the Castle is the dwelling for the vicious King of Wasteland. The King of Ghosts."  
  
"Is that all there is?" Keja asked.  
  
"No." Cosmo Queen answered. "Almost ten years ago, the Luminous Spark was at peace. Our economy was stable, towns were in perfect condition, and panic was a very rare occurrence. But one day, a young man in black appeared as if out of nowhere. He destroyed half of Fountain in a rage, scorched the west side of the city and headed west. I followed him out to the border of Luminous Spark until he stopped on the threshold of Wasteland. A loud bang echoed throughout the dead field as a large castle descended from the sky, a name engraved on its main entrance in large letters. Elsewhere. He levitated into his massive castle and things stood still for a moment. All of the sudden, an image materialized out of nowhere. It took the shape of a large castle with sharp dark towers. A large symbol engraved on a circular stone on the front of the castle. By the time the castle had fully emerged, Elsewhere was gone. I went running back to Fountain after hearing a loud blood-curdling scream come from the depths of the dark castle. I have not returned since."  
  
"Dominus." Keja said as he tightened the grip on his staff.  
  
"Well we have to get in there." Picard said. "Is there any way we can go in?"  
  
"Yes. But you have to have the Illusions Key." Cosmo Queen answered.  
  
"Well who has the Illusions Key?" Ameph asked.  
  
"I know who." Picard sighed.  
  
Picard led his friends out of the castle after saying good-bye to the Queen. He took them to the destroyed west side of town.  
  
"This place needs a lot of work." Ameph said.  
  
"What are we doing here anyways?" Keja asked.  
  
"I have to go see an old friend." Picard answered.  
  
"Who is that?" Ameph asked.  
  
Picard did not answer. He kept walking until he got to a specific building. The entire left side of the building was blown off and its edges were charred. Picard pushed open the cracked door and entered the building. Keja and Ameph followed. They followed Picard upstairs and into the only upstairs room. The room was dark and empty. The trio walked to the center of the room before being stopped by a voice.  
  
"You seem to have a habit with hanging around Dark Magicians." A figure said as he fell from the ceiling. "Picard."  
  
"YQ." Picard replied reluctantly.  
  
"So what can I do for you on this fine day?" YQ asked. "Would you like something to drink, eat, or are you only here because you need my help?"  
  
"We need the Illusions Key." Picard said.  
  
"Whatever for?" YQ asked.  
  
"To get into The Castle of Dark Illusions. What else?" Picard answered.  
  
"Heh. You, are going into that castle?" YQ asked. "Didn't you learn anything from last time?"  
  
"That was last time. This time is different." Picard answered.  
  
"Yes. This time is different." YQ said. "Its eight months, since you and I went into that castle. And it's been eight months since you 'accidentally' got me swallowed by the Pumpking."  
  
"Can we just forget about that for a second?" Picard said. "I actually have a reason for going in there."  
  
"What would that be?" YQ asked.  
  
"I need to help rescue someone." Picard said.  
  
"And you expect to do it with these clowns?" YQ said. "You're going to need more help than that."  
  
"What do you mean clowns?" Ameph asked.  
  
"Come on." YQ began. "A little girl and a kid that looks like he almost got his arm ripped off, I've seen better. I bet your not even eighteen."  
  
"I am." Ameph said.  
  
"Yeah well not Picard or this guy." YQ said. "I can tell."  
  
"What does age have to do with anything?" Keja asked.  
  
"Heh. Age plays a big role in that castle." YQ answered. "If you're not at a certain age, your strength will deteriorate the deeper you crawl in its confines. Picard and I were lucky to even make it to the center room back then."  
  
"Well how old are you?" Keja asked.  
  
"Sixteen." Picard said.  
  
"Not anymore, buddy." YQ corrected. "I am now at the age of nineteen."  
  
"How?" Picard asked.  
  
"With this." YQ said as he walked from the shadows to reveal he was a Dark Magician. "Come on out Clock!"  
  
A small object spun around the room for a few seconds before stopping.  
  
"A Time Wizard?" Keja asked. "How did you get it to change your age?"  
  
"How old are ya kid?" YQ asked.  
  
"Fifteen." Keja answered.  
  
"Clock. Show this kid how it's done." YQ said as the Time Wizard nodded its head.  
  
"Time Warp!" Clock yelled out as he encased Picard and Keja in a vortex. They stayed there for a matter of three seconds before coming back to the room with YQ and Ameph.  
  
"What the hell just happened?" Picard asked. "My armor is tighter on me now.  
  
"Very simple Picard." YQ answered. "You and your friend over there just aged a total of three years. Your current age is eighteen."  
  
"Ok." Keja said slowly with a slightly deeper voice. His arm was all better, and he was a bit taller than he was before. His hair grew out a lot longer and the color on his armor faded a bit.  
  
"With the age of eighteen plus on your side you will pose a bigger threat to the castle than you did a couple of minutes ago." YQ said. "But your not going to need just age."  
  
"What do we need now?" Picard asked.  
  
"Help." YQ said. "But your not going to find it here. I'll lend you the Illusions Key and all but I'm not setting foot inside that castle without good reason."  
  
Picard paused for a minute and hovered his eyes around the room. Picard's eyes widened as he figured out what to say. "Dominus."  
  
"What about him?" YQ asked immediately.  
  
"Keja." Picard said as he pointed in Keja's direction. "He's Dominus' brother. He can help you get to him."  
  
"I'm surprised Picard." YQ said. "You changed my mind. But, you're not in charge of this operation. Nobody is. We do what we want on our own free will."  
  
"Of course." Picard said.  
  
"Well then children. Shall we be off?" YQ asked as he grabbed his staff and headed out the door. "Come on Clock!" He yelled as the Time Wizard hovered after him.  
  
"Lets go." Picard said as he walked out the door. Ameph followed him.  
  
Keja stayed behind for a minute and blew the hair out of his face. He looked over to the object Picard caught sight off before he said Dominus. A small picture was on a nightstand type of table. It showed a family of magicians with a large city in the background.  
  
"Come on Keja!" Picard called out.  
  
Keja took his eyes off the picture and headed downstairs. Unaware of just what stood before him.  
  
"If only you knew little brother." 


	5. Into the Dark

Chapter 5: Into the Dark  
  
Keja, Picard, and Ameph followed the mysterious YQ down the path to the Wasteland. YQ wasn't interested in getting Ameph's mother back. He was just determined to find Dominus. This fact was very strange to Keja. That picture he saw on the table was of YQ and his family. YQ was no doubt the one on the far left of the picture. Happiness seemed to fill his young face. But the YQ that walked before him now seemed to be a dark and flustered man.  
  
"So whats your name kid?" YQ asked.  
  
"Keja." Keja answered instantly.  
  
"Prince of Yami?" YQ asked.  
  
"Actually I'm technically king." Keja answered with a glum voice.  
  
"Really?" YQ said. "That why your after your brother?"  
  
"In a way, yes." Keja answered.  
  
"Well. You won't have to worry about him." YQ said. "Once I get my hands on him."  
  
"Why are you after him?" Keja asked.  
  
"Trust me dude, you don't want to ask." Picard said.  
  
"Good call Picard." YQ said as they continued down the trail.  
  
They walked through most of the night and eventually made it to the border of the Luminous Spark and Wasteland before daybreak. The soil was different in Wasteland than the soil in Luminous Spark. While the soil in Luminous Spark was normal, the Wasteland's soil was scorched and mostly ash. The group could see several pointed towers in the distance, no doubt belonging to the Castle of Dark Illusions.  
  
"So that's it huh?" Ameph asked.  
  
"Just the outside. Its whats inside that you should be worried about. If you are at all." Picard said.  
  
"I'm not." Ameph replied.  
  
"Well you should be." YQ said. "If that's where your mother is, I wouldn't be surprised if she was dead already."  
  
"Shut it you!" Ameph yelled.  
  
"YQ." Picard said. "What are we going to do once we are in the center room? I mean, if we did the spell then we could-."  
  
"Don't even think about it!" YQ interrupted. "That is one of the last things I'm going to do with you!"  
  
"Fine. Don't get so damn upset about it." Picard said.  
  
They reached the Castle at dawn. Except, it didn't seem like dawn. It was more like night. The huge structure hovered over the shattered ruins of what appeared to be a town. YQ lead Keja and the others into the center of the town to a large dried up fountain.  
  
"So how do we get in?" Ameph asked.  
  
"Like this." YQ said as he pulled out a large key with an opal engraved into the handle. "Clock."  
  
"Yes master YQ." Clock said as he spun around YQ's head.  
  
"As usual, you're the only one who can reach the hole." YQ said handing the Time Wizard the Illusions Key. "Turn it for us."  
  
"Yes master YQ." Clock said as he hovered to the top of the fountain and placed the key into a large stone that the fountain was holding. He turned the key with ease and a large rumbling followed.  
  
"Prepare yourselves." YQ said.  
  
"For what?" Keja asked.  
  
"Zombies." YQ replied as a bright light illuminated from the bottom of the castle. "That's our entrance. We just have to get past the guards."  
  
"What guards?" Ameph asked.  
  
Her question was suddenly followed by the ground sprouting several arms. The arms were accompanied by their owners, which crawled their way out of the cold scorched ground.  
  
"Those guards." Picard answered.  
  
"Clown Zombies?" Keja said. "I've seen better."  
  
"Get a grip on the reality of this place kid." YQ said. "As long as that Castle floats, their strength is doubled."  
  
"Great." Ameph said.  
  
The Clown Zombies let out a chilling chuckle before charging the four.  
  
"DNA Surgery!" Keja yelled as he shot out several pink energy balls. "Form of Dragons!"  
  
The Clown Zombies stopped in their tracks as the orbs got closer and closer to them. They let out another chuckle as they each reached into their pockets and pulled out a pocketknife. "Seven Tools of Bandit!" They all laughed as they all threw the knives at the orbs. In an instant, the attack was neutralized.  
  
"I see you got him doing that trick now." YQ said.  
  
"So what?" Picard said.  
  
"Nothing." YQ said as he jamp into the sky. "Try out these knives. These Thousand Knives!" YQ pointed his staff at one of the Clowns and fired his attack. Exactly one thousand knives rained down on the Zombie, and destroyed it.  
  
"Widespread Ruin!" Ameph yelled as a Zombie was caught in the middle of and explosion. The smoke cleared to reveal the Zombie safe and sound with another pocketknife in his hand. "Looks like Trap Spells aren't going to work on these guys."  
  
"Damn right they aren't." Picard said as he slashed a clown down the middle.  
  
"Dark Magic Attack!" Keja yelled as he nailed a Clown in the face with his standard attack.  
  
"How many are left?" YQ asked.  
  
"Eight." Ameph said as she bashed one in the head.  
  
"Kill three more and I take it from there." YQ said.  
  
"Got it." Keja said as he darted at another.  
  
"Dragonic Attack!" Picard yelled as he threw punch and wisped up a dragon shaped wind and incinerated another Clown.  
  
"Nightmare Steel Cage!" Keja yelled as he encased a Clown in the cage. "Dark Magic Attack!" He yelled as he hit the Clown with a blast that caused it and the cage to explode.  
  
"Take this!" Ameph yelled as she delivered an earth shattering shot to the top of the head of the sixth Clown, thus crushing it.  
  
"Alright, gamblin' time!" YQ yelled as he tossed a coin into the air. "Come on tails!" He yelled as the coin came down and landed in his hand. Tails. "Alright Clock! Do your stuff!"  
  
"Time Warp!" Clock yelled as he locked the five remaining Clowns in his infinite void of time.  
  
"There. All finished." YQ said as he took a deep breath. "Shall we continue?" He said as Clock climbed on his shoulder and he jumped into the light. The light lifted him into the castle's confines were he waited for the others.  
  
"Lets go." Picard said as he entered the castle next.  
  
"All for it." Ameph said as she followed.  
  
Keja paused for a minute and looked at his surrounded by his surroundings. They seemed familiar in some way. He quickly came back to reality and entered the light, unaware of what awaited him. In the dark. 


	6. The Hunter

Chapter 6: The Hunter  
  
"So." Dominus said. "They've made it into the castle."  
  
"Yes sire." Roas said. "They entered the main gate a few minutes ago."  
  
"Well. Lets have some fun." Dominus said. "Shin."  
  
"Yes master Dominus." Shin answered.  
  
"Why don't you get me what I want?" Dominus said. "I know that Pumpking is holding out on me."  
  
"I will sire." Shin replied.  
  
"Very good." Dominus said. "Have fun."  
  
Keja joined the others in large room. The room was illuminated by several torches along its circular walls.  
  
"So where to we go from here?" Keja asked.  
  
"That way." Picard answered as he pointed to the only doorway in the room.  
  
"Lets go then." Ameph said.  
  
"Grab a torch." YQ said. "It gets a little to dark down there."  
  
"Ok." Keja said as they each pulled a torch off the wall.  
  
They walked down the dark hallway with caution. The craftsmanship of the castle was of the satanic sort. Carvings of skeletons were plastered all over the walls, the floor was cracked and broken, and the ceiling dripped blood. The group walked into a large corridor where the bodies of warriors, magicians, and fairies were scattered around the floor.  
  
"Look Picard." YQ said. "There's our old friend."  
  
"A Dragon Zombie?" Ameph asked.  
  
"You mean used to be Dragon Zombie." Picard said.  
  
"Yes." YQ said. "And you thought we'd never beat it."  
  
"Whatever. Can we please continue?" Picard asked with an angry tone.  
  
They continued to walk down the corridor with paranoia. They got to the end of the corridor when YQ spotted something unusual.  
  
"Look at this." YQ said as he walked over to an object that was stuck in the wall.  
  
"A Kunai with Chain?" Picard said. "That could be from anywhere."  
  
"Nope." YQ said. "This thing has been recently used. Clock."  
  
"Yes master YQ?" Clock said as he hovered over.  
  
"How long has this been here?" YQ said as he pointed at the Kunai.  
  
The Time Wizard paused for a second and as he stared at the object. "Less than ten minutes."  
  
"Huh. Well." YQ said. "Best be on your toes people. We're not the only living things in this castle."  
  
"Yay?" Keja said as the group continued down the pathways of the castle.  
  
They wandered down the next hallway and into another circular room. This time the walls were lined with standing coffins. Keja walked over to one of the coffins and examined the box.  
  
"Heh. Lets see how they handle the servants." Shin said as he pressed down a stone in the wall. In an instant a large rumbling began to stir. "That should slow them down."  
  
"The hell?" Keja asked as the four stood back to back in the center of the room.  
  
"This didn't happen last time." Picard said.  
  
"Don't ya think I know that?" YQ said as they began to hear loud foot steps scurry around the walls.  
  
"What's happening?" Ameph asked.  
  
Pounding began to take toll on the doors of the coffins. After time the coffin doors all flew off theirs hinges and the rumbling and noise subsided, but was quickly followed by a figure walking out of one of the coffins.  
  
"Great." Keja said. "Skull Servants."  
  
When Keja was finished the room was being flooded with running skeletons.  
  
"They're nothing!" Picard said as he began to chop down the skeletons.  
  
"That doesn't matter." Keja said. "What really matters is how many are there? My father told me once that these thing are trouble in large numbers."  
  
"Your dad was right." YQ said as he began to swat the servants with his staff.  
  
"So how many are there?" Ameph asked.  
  
"How can we tell?" Picard asked. "They could be endless."  
  
"Clock!" YQ said as the he pulled out his coin. Before he could toss it, he was piled on by a massive number of skeletons. "Get off of me." He stuttered as he gathered his energy and threw the bones off of him. "Tails!" He yelled as he flipped the coin and it landed in his hand, tails. "Alright! Sweep the floor!"  
  
"Time Warp!" Clock yelled as he trapped the each and every last Skull Servant in the warp.  
  
"Good job Clock." YQ said before he heard more rumbling come from the corridors within the coffins. "What the?"  
  
"Here comes the second course." Keja said as more Skull Servants began to pour out of the holes in the wall.  
  
"Well we'll just flip again." YQ said as he flipped his coin. "Tails!" It landed in his hand, heads. "Dammit."  
  
"What happens now?" Keja asked.  
  
"Nothing happens now." YQ answered. "If I miss then I can't use Clock's coin toss spell for another twenty four hours. So it looks like we're forcing our way out of this mess."  
  
"But how?" Keja asked as he continued to destroy the skeletons with ease. "There's too many of these things. We'll waste all of our energy just taking out these weaklings."  
  
"Up there." Ameph pointed out. "That looks like a switch of some kind. If we can flip that somehow, maybe they'll stop."  
  
"That's just crazy enough to work." Picard said. "But it would be an easy task if we could get our hands free here."  
  
They all continued to hack away at the servants as Ameph looked up at the crystal that hung from the top of the ceiling. All of the sudden the crystal was wrapped in a chain, and latched by a Kunai.  
  
"Whats that?" Ameph said as she looked to the source of the weapon.  
  
A tall figure held the chain on its other end and gave it a hard tug. In an instant the crystal shattered and all the skeletons fell to pieces. Keja, Picard, and YQ caught their breath and turned their attention to the figure in the hallway as well.  
  
"Who's there?" YQ asked.  
  
"Just a friend." The figure said as he stepped from the shadows.  
  
"A Zaloog." Keja pointed out.  
  
"A bounty hunting Zaloog." The young man said. "The names Huan Yu."  
  
"Aren't you a little young to be a bounty hunter?" YQ asked.  
  
"Fourteen is plenty old enough to do anything." Huan said.  
  
"You do know that your energy is depleting as we speak, don't you?" YQ asked.  
  
"Nope. That's because I have this." Huan said as he revealed a charm around his neck.  
  
"What's that?" Keja asked.  
  
"This is a shard of the Violet Crystal." Huan answered. "With it I am unaffected by any effects this castle may have on me."  
  
"What's the Violet Crystal?" Ameph asked.  
  
"The Violet Crystal is the heart of this castle." YQ said. "If the crystal is shattered the castle will fall."  
  
"You did your homework." Huan said.  
  
"Apparently." YQ said. "What are you doing here, mister bounty hunter?"  
  
"Well. I have been hired by the King of Wasteland to bring this castle down." Huan said.  
  
"But I thought that the King of Ghosts was the King of Wasteland." Ameph said.  
  
"No. Hades is the ruler of Wasteland." Huan replied.  
  
"Hades. Also known as the Dark Ruler?" Keja said.  
  
"That is correct." Huan said.  
  
"Why would Hades hire someone to bring this castle down?" Keja asked. "He's the Yami's greatest rival, and he has allied himself with the Fushioh Richie, who is the King of the Zombie Nation."  
  
"Hades sees this castle as a threat to his land." Huan said. "Don't ask me why because that's all he told me. I've been hired to shatter the Violet Crystal and bring this castle down."  
  
"Really. Well we have to rescue someone that has apparently being held hostage here." YQ said. "And we basically have the same objective. So why don't you tag along with us. You can shatter the crystal and we can get whoever we have to rescue."  
  
"Sounds good to me." Huan said.  
  
"Very well then." YQ said. "After you." 


	7. Betrayal

Chapter 7: Betrayal  
  
"So you're supposed to be some kind of bounty hunter now?" YQ asked.  
  
"That's right." Huan answered.  
  
"So where did you get that crystal at?" Keja asked.  
  
"A couple years ago I was wandering around below this castle, when a battered man fell out of it." Huan began. "He hit the ground pretty hard. He only got out the words, 'The King will fall if it is cut off from its source of power'. He fell dead shortly after. I found this shard of the Violet Crystal tightly grasped in his hand."  
  
"Huh." Keja said. "That must be some monster."  
  
"It's more than some monster kid." YQ replied. "Like I said before, me and Picard were lucky enough to make it out of here alive."  
  
"We're coming up on the center room." Picard said as he pointed to an indent in the wall. "I'd recognize that scar anywhere."  
  
"Yep." YQ said. "We're getting pretty close."  
  
Suddenly a loud stomp began to echo throughout the halls. It began to get closer and closer.  
  
"Where's it coming from?" Ameph asked as the five prepared themselves.  
  
"I don't know." Huan said. "The sound is so equally balanced, it could be coming from anywhere."  
  
YQ twitched as he figured it out. "The ceiling!" He yelled as the ceiling came down.  
  
The five jamp out of the way just in time. They got up and brushed themselves off as the dust cleared. Suddenly they heard a low toned and very loud breathing begin to stir.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Keja asked as he could hear a creature take in a deep breath.  
  
"Dragon Zombie!" YQ yelled and the five began to run down the hall, the enormous lavender dragon followed.  
  
"Quick down here." Picard said as he ran down a stairway.  
  
"It's a dead end." Ameph pointed out as they continued down the staircase.  
  
"No it isn't." YQ said as he ran into the wall. The wall swung open like doors, mainly because they were. "Come on!" He yelled and the others followed him.  
  
"Shut it." Picard instructed as they pushed the large doors shut.  
  
They held the large doors shut as the large zombie continued to pound it's head on the other side of the door. Ameph spotted a large wooden beam on the side of the entrance and quickly grabbed it. Each door had hooks for the beam to be placed in. She quickly slammed the beam into the hooks and they all backed away from the door as the dragon continued to try and get through.  
  
"Can't you get a power boost from that Picard?" Keja asked.  
  
"No. That's a zombie. Not a dragon." Picard explained.  
  
"Great." Ameph said. "Now how do we get out of this room?"  
  
"You don't." A low toned voice said from behind them.  
  
Torches began to illuminate the entire room, and blur the eyes of the five warriors. They all rubbed their eyes and got adjusted to see what stood before them.  
  
"What the?" Huan said in a bit of shock.  
  
"Yes." A large pumpkin said from across the room. "I can understand the looks on your faces. Welcome to the center of the Castle of Dark Illusions children. I am Pumpking, the King of Ghosts. But you can call me, Handsome."  
  
"Handsome?" Ameph asked. "How about Gruesome."  
  
"You speak when spoken to girl." Handsome said. "That goes for the rest of, YOU!"  
  
"Aw crap." YQ said.  
  
"Well, well, well." Handsome said and all sorts of zombies came out from behind him. "If it isn't the dynamic duo of YQ and Picard."  
  
"Hi. Handsome." YQ reluctantly said as he raised his hand.  
  
"Chance you all remember these two don't ya." Handsome said to his minions. The zombies responded with a yes. "Well. Don't let them get away this time."  
  
The zombies let out a roar as the all charged the five warriors. They readied themselves as the wall of undead stumbled toward them. All of the sudden a black flash stunned the zombies and Keja and the others looked on in amazement.  
  
"Halt." A woman's voice said as a dark figure came out of the floor. "Let me take these fools Handsome."  
  
"Why yes. Of course Beautiful." Handsome said as he looked at the figure.  
  
"Children. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Beautiful, the Snake Hair." She said.  
  
"How's it going snake lady?" YQ asked.  
  
"It would be better if you hadn't locked up my precious Brutey." Beautiful said as she pushed the five out of the way with magic and walked over to the door. She opened the door and the Dragon Zombie slowly walked out of the hallway. It snorted at the warriors as it approached Beautiful with a harmless growl.  
  
"Ok. This is getting weird." Huan said.  
  
"Weird?" Beautiful asked as she petted the dragon. "Is it wrong for someone to have a pet?"  
  
"No. No it's not." YQ said as he approached Beautiful. "Now you know from our most recent encounter, that I'm a man of few words. So lets get this over with."  
  
"As you wish. Let us end the story we started." Beautiful said. "But this time. We do it as a family."  
  
"A family?" Picard asked.  
  
"Yes." Beautiful said. "Now behold! As my pet dragon and I merge into one to create one ultimate monster!"  
  
"And with my mystical powers on their side, we will be unstoppable!" Handsome yelled.  
  
Beautiful and Brutey were thrown into a black vortex, in which they fazed out. A large flash went throughout the room. When the flash cleared, a large creature stood in place of Beautiful and Brutey.  
  
"Behold!" Handsome yelled. "The Great Mammoth of Goldfine!" He yelled as he raised one of his tentacles. "Now watch." Handsome thrust his tentacle into the Mammoth skeleton and began to pump it full of a green fluid. "Now it will gain power with every strike it is hit with."  
  
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Picard yelled as he jamp at the Pumpking's tentacle and slashed it in half.  
  
Handsome let out a cry of pain and retracted his tentacle. "Heh. That won't do you any good." He said. "I've delivered enough fluid for my spell to last for days!"  
  
"Crap." Picard said.  
  
"No time to worry about that." Keja said. "Let's just bring down that Mammoth."  
  
"Got it." Ameph said as she levitated into the air. "Thousand Knives!" She yelled as she pointed her short staff down at the mammoth and a rain of knives suddenly followed.  
  
The Mammoth spat out a green mist that neutralized the knives and negated the attack. The Mammoth charged at YQ and Keja.  
  
"Not today." Keja said as he smacked the mammoth in its front left leg and tripped the beast.  
  
"Fools!" Handsome yelled. "You don't stand a chance! Attack!" He yelled as more than a dozen zombies charged them.  
  
"I beg to differ!" Huan yelled as he collided with the zombie wall. "You guys deal with that monstrosity and I'll get these guys."  
  
"Alright." Picard said as he jamp on the Mammoth's back.  
  
The mammoth began to jump around the room like a bull. It tried to shake Picard off with great force and eventually won that battle. Picard fell to the floor with amazing force and began to drift in and out of consciousness.  
  
"Dammit." YQ said as he looked down at his fallen comrade.  
  
"That's one down." Handsome said.  
  
"Shut up freak!" Keja yelled as he jamp at the Pumpking but was swatted away by one of his many tentacles. Keja flew into the wall and felt a sharp pain in his back. He wouldn't be able to move for a few seconds.  
  
The Mammoth scampered around the room in an attempt to catch Ameph, but it did not work. Ameph was much too fast for the Mammoth.  
  
One of the zombies that were tangled in a fight with Huan caught Ameph out of the corner of his eye and ran after her as well. Unlike the Mammoth, the zombie was much faster than Ameph, and he caught up to her with ease. The zombie tackled her from behind and picked her up. The zombie slammed her up against a wall and reared its right arm back for a punch. Before the zombie could connect with the shot, Clock had bashed it over the head with its wand.  
  
"Thanks dude." Ameph said to the Time Wizard as she slid down the wall to catch her breath.  
  
The Time Wizard nodded and buzzed off toward YQ, who was belting the Mammoth back and forth across the face with his staff. The Mammoth pushed YQ down with it's right tusk and raised it's front left foot. The Mammoth brought down it's massive foot but was stopped by Clock. Clock was holding up the large foot with magical energy and signaled for YQ to roll out of the way.  
  
"What's this?" Handsome said. "I guess I'll have to put an end to this nuisance as well. Take this you pesky little watch!" He yelled as he thrust one of his tentacles straight through the Time Wizard.  
  
"Clock!" YQ yelled as Handsome pulled his tentacle from Clock and the Mammoth crushed the Time Wizard under its mighty foot.  
  
"Ha!" Handsome chuckled. "What a waste of life."  
  
"Shut. Your. Over grown! Grotesque! Mouth!" YQ yelled as he began to glow a rapid green.  
  
Huan yelled in pain as the final zombie bit him hard on the shoulder. He pulled the zombie of and cut it into several pieces. Huan stumbled to the wall and watched in curiosity as the Dark Magician began to change.  
  
"What the?" Handsome asked. "What's happening to you?"  
  
"Heh. You should be more worried about yourself. Handsome." YQ said as he looked at the Mammoth with anger in his eyes. "Title! Of! Knight!"  
  
YQ became infused with the green energy that had been flowing around him. Within seconds, his staff had morphed into a sword and his armor changed shape. YQ was floating off the ground and slowly lowered as his transformation continued. When he was finished, he had grown more intense, his power had increased, and his facial expression was blank. He had become the Dark Magician Knight.  
  
"How do you like it?" YQ asked. "Enjoy the view, because I'm the last thing you're going to see!" He yelled as he jamp at the Mammoth and delivered a single upward slash to the chin.  
  
An explosion suddenly followed a bright flash and Handsome looked on in shock. The smoke cleared and Picard, Ameph, Keja, and Huan had gotten to their feet. YQ was standing in the middle of a mess as bones were scattered everywhere around the floor of the room.  
  
YQ raised his sword at the Pumpking and began to walk towards him. "Your turn."  
  
"Yeah." Ameph said. "And now your going to pay for holding my mother in this vile place."  
  
"Girl, I have no idea what you're talking about." Handsome said.  
  
"Dominus said that her mother would be here." Keja said. "Now where is she?"  
  
"Dominus!?" Handsome yelled. "Oh no." Handsome paused for a minute and a bright light began to shine from with in him.  
  
"What the hell?" Keja said as the five backed way from the Pumpking.  
  
"No!" Handsome yelled as he began to incinerate. "Please! Don't do this!"  
  
The Pumpking became an orange fireball. He let out a blood-curdling scream as he suddenly fazed out of reality itself. Ashes fell down and smoke went throughout the room. When the smoke cleared, a figure stood in Handsome's place.  
  
"Well what do you know?" Shin said as he held a piece of the Pentagram. "He did have it."  
  
"Shin!" Keja yelled as he stepped forward.  
  
YQ leaned over to Picard. "Who is Shin and what is he doing here?"  
  
"Shin is one of Dominus' henchmen." Picard answered  
  
"Ah." YQ replied as he leaned back to his original position.  
  
"Oh hello there Keja." Shin said. "You look well."  
  
"You're not going to look so well in a minute bird boy." Keja said as he popped his knuckles. "You're not leaving with that Pentagram piece.  
  
"Yes. I assumed you'd try something like this." Shin said. "And indeed, we will battle. However, five against one is so unfair. Don't you think so Huan?"  
  
"Yes. Yes I do." Huan said as he stepped up along side Shin. "Two on four sounds a bit better."  
  
"Actually, I don't think that's very fair for them." Shin said.  
  
"Traitor!" Picard yelled. "You're not getting out of this mess!"  
  
"Well." Shin said as he jamp to an object in the ceiling.  
  
"The Violet Crystal." YQ said as his eyes went wide open.  
  
"Can you defeat us before the castle falls?" Shin said as he shattered the crystal with a hard right hook. 


	8. Duel in the Falling Darkness

Chapter 8: Duel in the Falling Darkness  
  
"We can beat you before this castle even begins to descend." Picard said to the duo of Shin and Huan.  
  
"This castle's decent will be nothing more than a short drop and a big bang." Shin explained. "By destroying the Violet Crystal, the castle will fall eventually. But for the castle to fall, its levitation ring must be destroyed."  
  
"What are you getting at bird face?" Keja asked angrily.  
  
"With the Violet Crystal destroyed, the Levitation Ring has lost it's source of power. Therefore the Levitation Ring that holds the castle will slowly decompose. Once the Levitation Ring is gone, the castle will come down like a meteor and explode on contact with the ground." Shin continued.  
  
"I can already hear it begin to crack." Huan said as he put his hand up to his ear.  
  
"We go down. You go down." Keja said in his angered tone.  
  
"Perhaps." Shin said unsheathing his needlepoint sword. "But I doubt you will live to feel the descent. Or will you somehow win by a fluke. Like the incident on that ship."  
  
"Tsunami did not kill Kojikocy on accident." Picard explained.  
  
"Ah but that is where you are wrong." Shin said. "Capitan Kojikocy is still very much alive."  
  
"That's impossible." Ameph said. "That Fortress Whale swallowed him whole."  
  
"Yes and because he was swallowed whole he did not die instantly." Shin continued. "After Capitan Tsunami set sail the whale swam off. Kojikocy then ripped his way out."  
  
"How. He would have suffocated somehow. Wouldn't he?" Keja asked in puzzlement.  
  
"Capitan Kojikocy is the Trinity Master of Water." Shin answered. "He can not die so easily. Neither can I."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" YQ asked. "I've heard tales of that man. He is supposed to be an Earth based monster. What does he have to do with the power of Water?"  
  
"Kojikocy has an inscription carved into his right palm." Shin said as he showed his palm to the four in front of him. "Much like this one."  
  
"That's a Scroll of Bewitchment." Keja pointed out.  
  
"Good observation." Shin said as he put his hand down. "As long as we have these inscriptions carved into our hands, we are have a different base element then we would usually have. Kojikocy's Scroll makes his base element Water. Mine makes my base element Wind."  
  
"So you're a Wind monster as long as that thing is on your hand?" Picard asked.  
  
"Correct." Shin said. "Now. As I was speaking I was wasting valuable time. So why don't we get this over with?"  
  
"Fine by us." YQ answered for the group as they all got in a stance.  
  
"First." Huan said. "Why don't we begin by doing this?" Huan held out his hand toward YQ. A dark mist began to crawl from his arm and flow toward the Dark Magician Knight. "Magic Jammer!"  
  
With that, YQ became enshrouded in the mist. After a few seconds, the only thing visible was the mist that covered him. Huan pulled his hand back and the mist left YQ. When YQ became visible he had reverted to his normal self. He was no longer the Knight he had transformed himself into.  
  
YQ fell to one knee and began to breath heavily. "Great. Just friggin' great."  
  
"Now." Shin said. "You shall perish."  
  
Shin jamp down from the platform he was standing on and began to clash swords with Picard. Huan had jamp down toward Keja who was caught in distraction and threw his Kunai down in attempt to slash him. Before connecting with the blow YQ threw his staff in front of Keja and blocked the attack.  
  
Keja turned his attention to Huan who was still in a struggle force with YQ. Keja thrusted his staff into Huan's chest cavity and knocked him back. Huan had the wind knocked out of him for a brief moment. YQ jamp at the young man in attempt to belt him across the side of the head with his staff, Huan ducked the attack.  
  
Shin threw his sword down on Picard several times, driving the Buster Blader back to the wall. Ameph went to tackle Shin but was met with a backhand punch to the side of the head. Shin pulled his sword out of the battled with Picard and spun it around in a counter-clockwise circle, afterwards Shin stabbed Picard in his right shoulder.  
  
Picard dropped his sword and held his wound. Shin directed his attention away from Picard and toward Ameph. Shin walked over to the Dark Magician Girl and threw a downward slash at her. Ameph blocked with her short staff and elbowed Shin in the gut. Shin held his stomach and took a few steps back.  
  
Suddenly all the warriors where thrown towards the ground. The Castle's Levitation Ring had almost finished decomposing.  
  
"It seems we had less time than we thought." Shin said as he got up. "We'll have to continue this another day." Shin and Huan jamp back to the platform they had been standing on previously.  
  
"You're not running away!" Keja yelled. "We're finishing this."  
  
"And so we shall. However if we do plan of finishing this at all we must do it elsewhere." Huan said. "And know we are in need of Transportation." Huan pointed his open hand upward. "Show me that sky." Huan launched a black orb at the ceiling and tore the roof off of the dying Castle. "Shin. Your up."  
  
"K, A, Z, E, J, I, N!" Shin spelled as he pulled a medallion from his neck and raised it toward the sky. "Let me control the power I have within! May he come down a use his smite! Let him vanquish with Wind's might!"  
  
In an instant, Shin was struck by a large green thunderbolt. He began to laugh a bit here and there as a large figure began to take shape under the two.  
  
"I love being the Trinity Master of Wind." Shin said.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Picard asked.  
  
"This here is Kazejin the God of the Winds." Shin explained. "As the Trinity Master of Wind, I control this beast you see here. Now if you will excuse us. We have places to go, things to collect, and people to kill."  
  
The large green monster began to rise from the ground and exit the castle. Shin waved at they soared off to the west.  
  
"Great!" YQ yelled. "We'll never get out of here if we go through the passage ways!"  
  
"I'm already working on that." Keja said as he jamp into the air and pointed his staff downward. "You might want to get out of the way!" YQ, Ameph, and Picard all got out of the way. "Blitz Bomb!"  
  
Keja shot a huge spiral beam into the floor of the Castle. His attack faded and so did the dust from it. When all was clear a way straight down the middle of the Castle was opened. Keja landed on the floor beside the hole.  
  
"Let's go." Keja said as he jamp into the way out.  
  
"Alright!" Picard yelled as he followed and was then followed by Ameph.  
  
YQ stayed behind for a second. He looked at the shattered remains of his former companion and looked back into the hole. Before jumping in after the others he picked up the small staff once used by the Time Wizard.  
  
They all touched down around the fountain directly under the castle. Immediately they ran out of the way as the remainder of the Castle's Levitation Ring exploded and the Castle came crashing down just as Shin had said.  
  
An hour passed. Keja, Picard, and Ameph all gathered on top of a nearby hill and observed the ruins of the fallen castle as they rested.  
  
"After all that and my mother wasn't even there." Ameph said.  
  
"Don't worry Ameph." Picard said.  
  
"Yeah. We'll find her." Keja said before letting out a sigh. "We just have to follow my brother.  
  
"Where's YQ?" Picard asked.  
  
"He said he'd be back." Keja answered. "He didn't say where he was going."  
  
YQ stood in front of a line if black and violet staffs sticking out of the ground. He let out a long sigh as he walked over to the gathered weapons.  
  
"That's one more that's been added to the list." YQ said as he added Clock's staff to the line. "One too many." He stared back at the wreckage of the castle and turned back to the staffs. "Thus ends the Castle of Dark Illusions."  
  
End Part 2 


End file.
